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Top Cardamoms Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

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Cardamom spice bowl
Cardamoms bowl
In 2024, exports of cardamoms were worth a total US$950.2 million.

Exports of cardamoms decreased by an average -39% since 5 years earlier in 2020 when export sales for cardamoms amounted to $1.56 billion.

Year over year, overall export revenues for the strong-tasting spice made from plant seeds accelerated by 18.5% compared to $986.1 billion starting from 2023.

Cardamoms are typically used in sweet and savory Asian dishes and spice mixes. They are also flavoring ingredients in coffee and teas, baked treats, chewing gum, garnishes, curry pastes and alcoholic drinks like bitters and gin.

Guatemala is a country in Central America sharing its northern border with Mexico and near the Caribbean to its east.

By value, the 5 biggest exporters of cardamoms (Guatemala, India, Nepal, Indonesia and Singapore) sold 88.1% of all cardamoms exported during 2024..

Applying a continental perspective, countries in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean supplied the highest dollar worth of exported cardamoms during 2024 with shipments valued at $500.3 million or 52.7% of the global total. In second place were exporters based in Asia (42.5%), trailed by those in Europe (4.1%), Africa (0.5%), North America (0.3%) and Oceania (0.02%) led by Guam and Australia.

Shifting our attention to imports, the 5 leading importers of cardamoms in 2024 were Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, mainland China and Bangladesh. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought about two-thirds (66%) of globally imported cardamoms as measured by dollar value.

The above percentages suggest the total 82 exporters of cardamoms (88.1% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 155 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of the imports world total at 66%.

As for global imports of cardamoms by continent, 85.9% of cardamoms purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia (85.2%), North America (6.8%), Africa (1.8%), Latin America (0.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then buyers in Oceania (0.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand.

The average unit price paid by importers of non-crushed and unground cardamoms was $14,018 per ton in 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 92.8% spike from the average tonnage rate of $7,270 during 2023.

Processed cardamoms exports demanded a surprisingly lower unit price. For crushed or ground cardamoms, the average unit price paid by importers was $13,587 per ton in 2024 inflating by 53.6% from the average tonnage rate of $8,846 for 2023. Typically, a higher average price is driven by labor costs and other processing expenses.

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 090831 for cardamoms that is neither crushed nor ground, and 090832 for crushed or ground cardamoms.

Drilling down on those categories, 96.4% of world cardamoms exports by value were for non-crushed and unground cardamoms. The remaining 3.6% was paid for shipments of crushed or ground cardamoms (lagging the 6.4% for 2023).

Top Cardamoms Exports by Country

Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cardamoms during 2024, regardless of whether the shipped cardamoms was crushed, ground or raw.

  1. Guatemala: US$495.9 million (52.2% of total exported cardamoms)
  2. India: $206.8 million (21.8%)
  3. Nepal: $63 million (6.6%)
  4. Indonesia: $51.6 million (5.4%)
  5. Singapore: $19.4 million (2%)
  6. Netherlands: $16.3 million (1.7%)
  7. Bhutan: $14.8 million (1.6%)
  8. United Arab Emirates: $14.1 million (1.5%)
  9. Saudi Arabia: $10.1 million (1.1%)
  10. Türkiye: $8.9 million (0.9%)
  11. Bahrain: $7.3 million (0.8%)
  12. Germany: $7 million (0.7%)
  13. United Kingdom: $4 million (0.4%)
  14. Honduras: $3.71 million (0.4%)
  15. Tanzania: $3.68 million (0.4%)
  16. Vietnam: $2.5 million (0.3%)
  17. Kuwait: $2.3 million (0.2%)
  18. Spain: $2.1 million (0.2%)
  19. France: $1.68 million (0.2%)
  20. Sweden: $1.65 million (0.2%)

By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.6% of globally exported cardamoms in 2024.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cardamoms exporters since 2023 were: Tanzania (up 546.3%), Bahrain (up 447.3%), Honduras (up 125.1%) and India (up 101.9%).

Those countries that posted double-digit percentage declines in their exported cardamoms sales were: United Arab Emirates (down -86% from 2023), Saudi Arabia (down -52.5%), Indonesia (down -21.3%), Vietnam (down -16.2%) and France (down -14.1%).

Top Cardamoms Imports by Country

Overall spending on imported cardamoms shrank by -14.9% to $994.6 million over the 5-year period starting in 2020 but accelerated by 27.3% from 2023.

Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of cardamoms imported during 2024, for any cardamoms regardless of whether crushed or ground.

  1. Saudi Arabia: US$251.5 million (25.3% of total imported cardamoms)
  2. United Arab Emirates: $222 million (22.3%)
  3. India: $83 million (8.3%)
  4. mainland China: $52.1 million (5.2%)
  5. Bangladesh: $47.9 million (4.8%)
  6. Jordan: $37.4 million (3.8%)
  7. Kuwait: $28.4 million (2.9%)
  8. United States: $28.3 million (2.8%)
  9. Pakistan: $18.2 million (1.8%)
  10. Oman: $17.2 million (1.7%)
  11. United Kingdom: $17.1 million (1.7%)
  12. Qatar: $13.7 million (1.4%)
  13. Egypt: $12.5 million (1.3%)
  14. Iraq: $12.1 million (1.2%)
  15. Türkiye: $11.7 million (1.2%)
  16. Singapore: $11.6 million (1.2%)
  17. Canada: $10.2 million (1%)
  18. Netherlands: $10.1 million (1%)
  19. Germany: $9.4 million (0.9%)
  20. Japan: $9.3 million (0.9%)

By value, the listed 20 countries bought 90.9% of globally imported cardamoms in 2024.

Among the top importers, the fastest-growing cardamoms importers since 2023 were: United Kingdom (up 119.4%), Japan (up 110.3%), Qatar (up 92.3%) and the United Arab Emirates (up 84.2%).

Those countries that posted declines in their imported cardamoms purchases were led by: Egypt (down -56.9%), mainland China (down -25.4%), Iraq (down -16.6%), Singapore (down -15.3%) and India (down -3.5%).

Imported Raw Cardamoms: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2024, the world’s average unit price for imports of non-crushed and unground cardamoms was US$14,018 per ton spiking by 92.8% from 2023.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of non-crushed and unground cardamoms, Saudi Arabia, was higher at $22,053.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported raw cardamoms in 2024.

  1. Kenya: US$667 per ton (down -64.4% from 2023)
  2. Nigeria: $924 per ton (up 91.7%)
  3. Kyrgyzstan: $1,000 per ton (up 66.7%)
  4. Papua New Guinea: $1,333 per ton (down -33.4%)
  5. Angola: $1,750 per ton (up 110.1%)
  6. Grenada: $2,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  7. Nicaragua: $2,838 per ton (down -2%)
  8. Indonesia: $2,950 per ton (down -29.7%)
  9. Uzbekistan: $3,000 per ton (up 28.6%)
  10. Guatemala: $3,585 per ton (up 455%)
  11. Ethiopia: $4,000 per ton (up 148.3%)
  12. Uruguay: $4,000 per ton (down -77.8%)
  13. Tunisia: $4,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  14. Seychelles: $4,200 per ton (up 65%)
  15. mainland China: $4,470 per ton (up 33.7%)

Double-digit percentage reductions in average unit price paid per ton for non-crushed and unground cardamoms from 2023 to 2024 belong to low-cost importers Uruguay (down -77.8%), Kenya (down -64.4%), Papua New Guinea (down -33.4%) and Indonesia (down -29.7%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported unprocessed cardamoms.

  1. Belgium: US$35,429 per ton (up 73.4% from 2023)
  2. Ireland: $34,692 per ton (up 36.8%)
  3. Switzerland: $32,333 per ton (up 46.1%)
  4. Barbados: $28,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  5. Lithuania: $28,000 per ton (up 75%)
  6. Croatia: $26,000 per ton (up 73.3%)
  7. Brunei Darussalam: $26,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  8. Denmark: $25,706 per ton (down -22.9%)
  9. Mauritius: $25,406 per ton (up 59.7%)
  10. Bhutan: $25,200 per ton (up 60%)
  11. Guyana: $24,222 per ton (up 21.1%)
  12. Portugal: $24,000 per ton (up 17.6%)
  13. Kuwait: $23,539 per ton (up 82.1%)
  14. Cyprus: $23,000 per ton (up 58.6%)
  15. Norway: $22,850 per ton (up 50.7%)

Accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2024 compared to 2023 were recorded by importers in Kuwait (up 82.1%), Lithuania (up 75%), Belgium (up 73.4%), Croatia (up 73.3%) and Bhutan (up 60%).

Imported Crushed or Ground Cardamoms: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2024, the world’s average unit price for imports of crushed and ground cardamoms was US$13,587 per ton inflating by 53.6% from an average $8,846 per ton for 2023.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of crushed and ground cardamom (by weight), the United States of America was higher at $14,743.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported crushed and ground cardamoms in 2024.

  1. Guatemala: US$361 per ton (down -46% from 2023)
  2. Pakistan: $985 per ton (down -43.7%)
  3. Kenya: $1,111 per ton (down -44.5%)
  4. Guyana: $1,200 per ton (down -89.1%)
  5. Angola: $1,500 per ton (up 169.8%)
  6. Indonesia: $2,333 per ton (down -22.2%)
  7. Maldives: $2,400 per ton (down -81.5%)
  8. Nepal: $3,000 per ton (down -14.8%)
  9. Seychelles: $3,667 per ton (down -26.7%)
  10. Greece: $4,931 per ton (down -22.1%)
  11. Trinidad/Tobago: $5,000 per ton (down -16.7%)
  12. Bermuda: $5,000 per ton (up 25%)
  13. Iraq: $5,303 per ton (down -49.6%)
  14. Philippines: $5,333 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  15. Papua New Guinea: $6,000 per ton (up 140%)

The severest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for crushed and ground cardamoms from 2023 to 2024 belong to low-cost importers Guyana (down -89.1%), Maldives (down -81.5%), Iraq (down -49.6%), Guatemala (down -46%) and Kenya (down -44.5%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported crushed or ground cardamoms.

  1. Slovenia: US$56,000 per ton (up 7.7% from 2023)
  2. Saudi Arabia: $51,917 per ton (up 755.4%)
  3. Thailand: $49,333 per ton (up 11.3%)
  4. Morocco: $35,500 per ton (down -13.4%)
  5. Finland: $35,313 per ton (down -16.9%)
  6. Bhutan: $34,000 per ton (up 161.5%)
  7. Ireland: $33,250 per ton (up 18.1%)
  8. Austria: $29,571 per ton (up 5.6%)
  9. Portugal: $29,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
  10. Switzerland: $26,667 per ton (down -7.2%)
  11. Italy: $26,533 per ton (up 18.8%)
  12. Japan: $26,000 per ton (up 3.3%)
  13. Denmark: $25,645 per ton (up 5.2%)
  14. Bulgaria: $25,500 per ton (up 142.9%)
  15. Cyprus: $25,333 per ton (2023 data unavailable)

The strongest accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices in 2024 compared to 2023 were paid by importers of crushed or ground cardamoms in Saudi Arabia (up 755.4%), Bhutan (up 161.5%), Bulgaria (up 142.9%), Italy (up 18.8%) and Ireland (up 18.1%).

See also Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Cinnamon Exports by Country, Top Black Pepper Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Cloves Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices and Top Nutmeg Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

Research Sources:
Alibaba, Cardamoms Showroom. Accessed on October 23, 2025

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 23, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 23, 2025

Wikipedia, Cardamom. Accessed on October 23, 2025